Komatsu Australia will become a distributor in Papua New Guinea (PNG) following the acquisition of existing distributor company UMW Niugini.
The acquisition follows a change in the ownership structure of UMW Niugini and will see the business renamed to Komatsu Niugini Limited (KNL).
“As a result of this change in structure, KNL has become a fully owned part of the Komatsu Group,” Komatsu Australia managing director Sean Taylor said. “Komatsu Australia is the obvious choice to manage Komatsu Niugini going forward, given our proven expertise and success in the Oceania region.
“The KNL team will be able to draw on the resources of the broader Komatsu Australia business, especially our technical expertise and training capabilities to support machine troubleshooting and workforce development. We hope this acquisition will also benefit our Australian customers who have connections in PNG as well.”
Komatsu products have been distributed in PNG since 1970. Since then, the local team has established itself as a leading supplier of construction and mining equipment.
The acquisition was completed on May 1 and will see Dash Rayat leading the business as general manager. The main office will continue to operate from Port Moresby.
“Our local PNG customers can expect the same level of support they have always had from their trusted local experts, now supported by the wider Australian business,” Taylor said.
“We look forward to welcoming the KNL team and building on the strong foundations already in place in the region, while leveraging our global expertise to create value together.”